Changing Winds. St. John G. Ervine

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      "I love dancing," he said to her.

      "Yes," she murmured in reply.

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      When the dance was over, he took her to her uncle's farm. Marsh, overcome by headache, had gone home before the dance was ended, and Henry felt glad of this. He waited in the porch of the schoolhouse while Sheila put on her coat and wrap, and wondered why his feeling for her was so different from his feeling for Mary Graham, and while he wondered, she came to him, gathering up her skirts.

      "Isn't the sky lovely?" she said, glancing up at the stars, as they walked out of the school-yard into the road.

      He glanced up too, but did not answer.

      "Millions an' millions of them," she said. "You'd wonder the sky 'ud hold them all!"

      "Yes," he said.

      "Many's a time I wonder about the stars," she went on. "Do you ever wonder about them?"

      "Sometimes."

      "Do you think there's people in them, the same as there is on the earth?"

      "I don't know," he answered.

      "This is a star, too, isn't it?" she asked.

      "Yes."

      "An' shines just like them does?"

      "Yes, I think so!"

      "That's quare!" She walked on for a few yards without speaking, and her eyes were fixed steadily on the starry fields. "It's funny," she said, "to think mebbe there's people up there lookin' at us an' them mebbe thinkin' about this place what we're thinkin' of them. Wouldn't you love to be able to fly up to one of them an' just see if it's true?..."

      He laughed at her and she laughed in response. "I'm talkin' blether," she said, stumbling over a stone in the road.

      "Mind!" he warned her, putting out his hand to steady her.

      "I was nearly down that time," she said. "These roads is awful in the dark ... you can't see where you're goin' or what's in the way!"

      "No," he replied.

      Her arms were crooked because she was holding her skirts about her ankles, and as she stumbled against him a second time, he put out his hand and caught hold of her arm, and this time he did not withdraw it. He slipped his arm inside hers and drew her close to him, and so they walked on in the starlight up the rough road that led to Matthew Hamilton's farm.

      "It's quaren late," she said, moving nearer to him.

      "Yes," he answered.

      There was a rustle in the trees as the night wind blew through the branches, and they could hear the silken murmur of the corn as it bent before the breeze. Now and then there was a flutter of wings in a hedge as they passed by, and the low murmurs of cattle and sheep came from the fields.

      "I wish it were next Thursday," he said.

      "So do I," she replied.

      "I wish we could have two dancing-classes in the week instead of one!"

      "So do I," she said.

      "But we can't manage that," he continued. "You see we have two nights for the Language class!..."

      "You could have one night for the Language class," she said, "and two nights for dancing!"

      "I don't think Marsh would like that," he answered.

      They walked on for a while, thinking of what Marsh would say, and then she broke the silence.

      "I don't see the good of them oul' language classes," she said.

      "Don't you?"

      "No. I'd rather be dancin' any day!..."

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      He left her at the gate that led into the farmyard.

      "Good-night," he said, holding out his hand to her.

      "Good-night!" she replied.

      But still he did not move away nor did she open the gate and pass into the yard.

      "I shall look forward to Thursday," he said.

      "So shall I!"

      "Good-night!"

      "Good-night!"

      He still held her hand in his and as she made a movement to draw it away, he suddenly pulled her to him and put his arms about her and kissed her.

      "Sheila!" he said.

      "Let me go!" she whispered.

      She drew away from him, and stood looking at him for a few moments. Then she pushed the gate open and walked into the yard.

      "Good-night!" she said.

THE SEVENTH CHAPTER

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      His habit had been to work in the morning with Marsh, and then, after light luncheon, they walked through the country during the afternoon, climbing hills or tramping heavily through the fields or, going off on bicycles, to bathe at Cushendall. Sometimes, Mr. Quinn accompanied them on these expeditions, and then they had fierce arguments about Ireland, but more often Marsh and Henry went off together, leaving Mr. Quinn behind to ponder over some problem of agriculture or to wrangle with William Henry Matier on what was and what was not a fair day's work. But now, Henry began to scheme to be alone. On the day after he had taken Sheila Morgan to her uncle's farm, he had been so restless and inattentive during his morning's work that Marsh had asked him if he were ill.

      "I'm rather headachy," he had answered, and had gladly accepted the offer to quit work for the day.

      "Would you like to go out for a walk?" Marsh had asked. "The fresh air!..."

      And Henry had replied, "No, thanks! I think I'll just go up to my room!"

      He had gone to his room and then, listening until he had heard Marsh go out, he had descended the stairs and, almost on tiptoe, had gone out of the house by a side-door, and, slipping through the paddock as if he were anxious not to be seen, had run swiftly through the meadows and cornfields until he reached the road СКАЧАТЬ